The Concert
by TBGWNMHGB
Summary: Picard accidentally discovers a talent that Riker had kept hidden. Music.


A/N this is a bit of an interesting one. To understand the joke it started as, in 1978 the violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman did a European tour together. Of the concerts one was at the Royal College of Music in London. Now to Me Zukerman looked almost exactly like Riker in the later seasons. So I made the joke that Riker went into the holodeck to join Perlman. The concert itself can be found on YouTube by searching, "Perlman Zukerman Grand Duo"

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.

Riker was on his way to one of the Holodecks, a cloth bag slung across his shoulders. He had felt the urge to do something he rarely got a chance to. Play his violin. He had never told the captain of any of the other bridge crew members. He preferred to keep it private. He had been playing since he was a small child, which gave love for the near millennia old genre, classical.

Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Strauss... He knew their names by heart. Their music had become timeless. Still used today to teach students the ancient instrument. Even the lesser known composers such as one of his personal favorites, Leclair.

As he finally approached the holodeck entrance, waiting for the hallway to clear before he began, " Royal College of Music, London, 1978." He had previously set the exact date, time, and location earlier that week in preparation of his "concert"

The doors opened into the backstage of a large concert hall. He all but ran in. Walking up to a small table he quickly but carefully set down the cloth bag. He hated to use the bag instead of his case. But it would be far too obvious to carry it in the hall. He undid the zipper revealing a beautiful violin. Its reddish varnish giving it a maroon tone. Beside it lied a matching bow without a hair out of place. The instrument was meticulously taken care of to prevent damage to its three hundred year old frame.

He took a short breather to calm himself before straightening his posture, and walking out. The Crowd cheered as he and another positioned themselves at the center of the stage. The man sitting next to him considered one of the best violinists of the 21st century. Itzhak Perlman.

With a smile on his face he wasted no time in placing his violin onto his shoulder. Bringing its bow to the strings, he got a nod of confirmation from Perlman before starting to play Leclair's Sonata No.5 in E minor, Op.3 no.5. The haunting sounds of the first movement filled the theater. He played in perfect synchronization with man to his right.

Oh how he missed this. The sensation the the violin's vibrations under his chin. The unforgettable sound of the duet resonating around them. And although he was sure the cheers were for Perlman, he couldn't help but feel a bit happier with them. The piece finished as he received an applause. Shying away slightly, he and his partner began to re-tune their instruments for the next piece. If he had just paid a little more attention to the audience, he would have noticed the familiar face clapping in the front row.

(Earlier)

Picard had noticed his first officer set the holodeck. It was nothing unusual. Many officers used it. But that's not what caught his attention. He had overheard him mention the musician Itzhak Perlman. He could barely recall the name. But he knew he had heard It somewhere. By the sound of the location, Picard had assumed Riker was looking to see a concert. But his curiosity grew as he heard him request the second violinist, Pinchas Zukerman be absent.

He never intended to invade the man's privacy, but he couldn't help himself when he saw Riker heading back to the holodeck a week later with a bag around his shoulder. So he followed. A few moments after Riker had entered. Picard did as well.

The hall was full. Eager crowds awaiting something. He was going to leave berating himself for barging in. But that was until he caught sight of Riker...going backstage? That's it. He would stay just a bit longer. He quickly located a forlorn seat in the front row. Mere seconds after he made himself comfortable the people around him started to clap for the two figures that had just started to enter the stage. He assumed the man in crutches to be Itzhak Perlman. But the second man is what shocked Picard. It was Riker carrying a violin. That's when he decided that leaving was out of the question.

(Earlier)

After Riker's violin was returned to normal he began to play the the first of Wieniawski's Etudes and Caprices, Op.18, in G minor. Many of Wieniawski's pieces were known for their difficulty. But after decades of practice, Riker mastered them. He once again relished in playing. He let himself forget about everything but the music until after the second in E flat major. He briefly came out of his stupor to start the fourth in A minor. With the first notes of the piece flowing from the instrument he started to observe the crowd before him. He thought he saw the Starfleet insignia in the dim lighting. He blinked and looked closer.

Picard? No. I never told him about this...wait… He nearly stopped playing. It really was him. He was about to stop the simulation when the captain gave him a nod to keep going. He thought about stopping it anyway. Until he remembered that he still had twenty minutes and two pieces to go. He finished off the piece he was playing. He saw Picard clapping as he began the flourish of notes at the beginning of Handel's Passacaglia in G minor.

Picard was both shocked and greatly impressed. He had never known that Riker was so talented in the world of music. He wondered how he'd never seen it before. The violin didn't scratch or go off key once. To Picard it seemed horrifyingly difficult. Yet Riker made it look effortless. He leaned back into his chair and enjoyed the rest of the concert.

When he heard the final piece end and Riker rest his violin on his side. he stood up as he clapped to give him a standing ovation. The rest of the crowd mirrored his actions as the applause steadily grew louder. He stayed like that until the duet did their bows and left the stage. Moments later the simulation ended leaving Picard and Riker standing it the blank room.


End file.
